The 1930s Luluabourg Railroad Strike: Belgium's Colonial Labour Revolt

In 1931, Luluabourg in the Belgian Congo erupted in a strike by African railroad workers that exposed the brutal contradictions of colonial labour policy. This episode explores the strike's origins in the construction of the Port-Francqui railway, the role of the Luba and Kuba peoples, and the violent suppression by the Force Publique under Colonel Léon Fiévez. We examine how the strike forced Belgium to negotiate with its subjects and set a precedent for later independence movements. The conversation touches on the chicotte whip, the Bula Matari system, and the emergence of African trade unions. #Luluabourg #BelgianCongo #RailroadStrike #ForcePublique #Luba #Kuba #PortFrancqui #LéonFiévez #BulaMatari #chicotte #ColonialLabour #1930s #CongoHistory #AfricanResistance #LabourHistory #Colonialism #History #FexingoHistory Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo